Cause and Effect
by Music1623
Summary: Sequel to "May The Best Man Win." Fitz decides that wasting time is no longer an option when it comes to winning Olivia back. But his decisions would lead to some unlikely consequences that not only affect him but Olivia and Jake's relationship as well.
1. Good Morning

**A/N: Helloooo again! I said that I was going write a sequel and it's finally here. Please forgive me for taking so long to start this story. I never meant for that to happen. Really hope you enjoy the continuation of this story because I'm excited about writing it. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1: Good Morning

A small smile appeared on Olivia's face as she opened her eyes. She loved waking up in the morning with Jake's body close to hers. His chest was pressed firmly against her back while his arm rested comfortably around her waist. She always felt safe and loved when she was with him. It's been a year and a half since she chose to be with Jake and she never regretted her decision. There was never a reason to because he was who she wanted and needed.

Olivia turned over so she can be face to face with him. Part of her felt bad that she needed to wake him up since he was sleeping peacefully. But they couldn't stay in bed all day because she had things to do before going into work. Although being in bed with him for the rest of day was very tempting. She lifted her hand to Jake's face and began to slowly rub her finger tips across his bottom lip. There was an instant urge to kiss him so Olivia leaned in and kiss him gently.

"Jake," she said softly.

But there was no response from him.

She thought for a few seconds about what else she could do to get his attention. That's when she ran her fingers down his down chest, past his abs, and stopped when she reached his waist line. Olivia slipped her index finger into his boxer briefs before moving it back and forth across his skin.

"Time to wake up Jake," she whispered in his ear.

This time Olivia did get a response. It just wasn't in the form she was looking for.

Jake turned onto his back and slid one arm under the pillow his head was resting on. He was nowhere near sleeping anymore. He was half awake when he felt Olivia's lips against his and when her fingers made their way down his body. When he heard her whisper in his ear he became fully awake. The thought of saying something crossed his mind but curiosity got the best of him. Jake wondered what she was willing to do get him up so he continued with his fake sleeping.

Olivia climbed on top of him and smirked to herself, knowing what she was going to do next. She had a strong feeling that he was not asleep so she decided to play along with his little game. Kisses were slowly left from the spot below his earlobe to the crook of his neck. She continued to leave kisses down his body the further she disappeared under the covers.

"Olivia, what are you doing?" he said, thoroughly enjoying the personal attention she decided to show him this morning.

"Shhhh." She purposely made sure not to say anything more than that because she didn't want any distractions. She stopped when she reached the top of boxers and pulled it off quickly.

Within seconds, Jake felt Olivia's hand wrap around his member and it was met with the warmth of her mouth. He let out a long moan like he always did when she went down on him. The more she pleased him with her mouth the more he got aroused. The urge of wanting to feel himself inside of her was also increasing by the second. He was doing a great job at fighting the urge until Olivia started to use her tongue. She took her tongue and circled the tip of his member a few times before letting it slide back into her mouth. It wasn't long before Jake interrupted her.

"Come here Olivia."

Olivia made her way back up until she was face to face with him again. She locked eyes with his before giving him a seductive smile. Jake quickly took off the silk nighty and panties she still wore. He then ran his hand up the back of her neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss. He wanted to kiss her like this since he woke this morning. Olivia moaned into his mouth when his other hand began to massage her breast. He lowered his head to her neck to lick and suck on it. In that moment, Jake needed to know just how aroused she was. So his hand found its way between her thighs. Olivia knew he was more than satisfied with the wetness he felt because he played with her spot in a way that was driving her crazy. It also was making her impatient since she craved something else.

"Why don't you just give it to me already?" Olivia asked looking down at him.

Jake smirked. "I'm not sure I know what you want." That's when he pushed two fingers inside of her causing her back to arch slightly and a loud moan came from her lips. His movements were slow and her eyes closed in enjoyment of what she felt. After seeing the look of pleasure on her face and the occasional lip biting, Jake began moving his fingers in and out of her at a faster pace.

"Ohhhh, Jake. Please!" she practically begged with her eyes still closed.

Jake thought about continuing but he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. "Okay," he said. He stopped what he was doing and she looked him. "Turn over and I'll give you exactly what you want."

She did what he told her to do and Jake guided himself into her. They let out a moan at the same time and Jake pushed them up so they could be in the sitting position. Olivia moved her hips in circular motions while Jake massaged her breast again and kissed on her back repeatedly. Both knew it would be only a matter of time before they reached their peak. She began to move up and down and he leaned back slightly, steadying himself on both hands. The movements quicken and their breathing increased. Jake knew she wanted it bad because her moans became louder and the pace never decreased. Moments later Olivia came. She moved up and down a few more times and Jake wrapped his arms around her as he came. Seconds later Olivia's head fell backwards onto Jake's shoulder out of complete satisfaction while he rested his chin on her shoulder.

They both waited until their breathing slowed before saying anything.

"Good morning by the way," she said with a smile.

Jake chuckled and said "Good morning to you as well. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You sure do know how to wake up a man. Very well I must say."

"Well, it wasn't hard to do considering you were never sleeping."

"And how do you know for sure that I wasn't sleeping?"

"Let's just say I have a way of knowing things, Mr. Ballard."

"You're absolutely right about knowing things, Ms. Pope. Especially when it comes to pleasing me sexually."

"Well, it's not hard to do when you are with someone who is great at it as well," Olivia said as she began to play with his hair.

"I appreciate that because I do aim to please," Jake said making them both laugh.

Then silence came as they both became lost in thought. Jake's arms were still wrapped around Olivia and her head still rested on his shoulder. They both thought about how happy they were with one another and how they enjoyed moments like this.

Olivia placed her hands on his forearms before she spoke. "I love you, Jake." And she meant it. She was never the one to tell a man that unless she truly felt that way.

Jake smiled to himself then left light kisses on the shoulder his chin was previously resting on. He still loved to hear her say those three words.

"I love you too, Olivia," he whispered back.

A minute or so later, she lifted her head and climbed out of his lap. Olivia stretched out on her stomach in bed while Jake stretched out on his back. He looked over at her for a few moments before saying anything. Sometimes he still couldn't believe that Olivia was really his.

"So, are you taking today off or something?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm going into work late just like you are. I have some errands to run and I want to take you out for breakfast."

"I get sex AND breakfast this morning? Damn, I'm going to have a great day at work today," Jake said making Olivia grin.

"Your sense of humor never ceases to amaze me at times. And besides, this is not the first time you've gotten these two things in the morning."

"You're right but it rarely happens before work, which is understandable given the jobs we have. But it's not about the food or sex. Just being able to spend a little time with you before going to work always starts my day off right."

Olivia moved closer to Jake. "I couldn't agree more." She leaned in and kissed him deeply.

"You know," he said when they stopped kissing. "If you keep this up, we might not make out of this bed anytime soon.

"You would love for that to happen, wouldn't you?"

"Of course. I would be crazy not to."

"Well, it's not going to happen today. So, up up up. I have things to do," she said while motioning for him to get out of bed.

"Alright, I'm moving." Jake got out the bed and she followed.

Olivia walked in her bathroom, turned on the shower, and then came back into the bedroom. She walked over to her dresser and found a matching bra and panty to put on after her shower. "I'll be out soon."

"So I can't join you this time?"

"You can but no funny business.

"Dang," he said with a fake pout. "Now you're being mean."

"Nope, the sad face is not going to work this time. And I'll gladly be mean this time." She stuck out her tongue playfully at him before disappearing in the bathroom.

Jake just shook his head and smiled to himself before joining her in the shower.

* * *

It was a little after six in the evening and Fitz sat on the sofa in his office, watching his three children interact with one another. Teddy was finding amusement in the variety of noises that his brother and sister were making with their mouths. They were playing with Teddy's toys. It was a great feeling having them all in one place permanently. While Gerry and Karen did come home for the holidays and breaks, it wasn't the same having them there every day. He always thought he was a weak man in the sense that he let Mellie talk him into putting the kids into boarding school. Especially since there was no legitimate reason why they needed to be in one but he agreed to it just to make Mellie happy. It was ironic now because he no longer took her feelings into consideration when it came to making decisions anymore.

There were actually a few decisions that he was about to make. He knew Mellie and a few others wouldn't be so happy with it but they needed to be made. He had to put himself in a better position to win his Livvy back. No more wasting time or taking things for granted.

"Sir, Cyrus said entering the Oval Office. "Are you all set to go?"

"Yep, as always," he said.

Fitz stood up and put his suit jacket back on. He told his kids that he would see them later and that their mother would be in there shortly. Cyrus followed closely beside him as they made their way to the press briefing room. Fitz was set to make the announcement that he would be seeking a second term.

When Fitz walked up to the podium he could see dozens of journalists waiting in anticipation to hear what he had to say. It was almost a guarantee that he would want another four years. But little did they know, Fitz was about to announce the exact opposite.

"Good evening. I would to apologize in advance if the way I am making this announcement seems a little informal. But I know we all have more important things that we need to do right now and I don't want to waste anyone's time more than necessary. You want to know the bottom line on whether or not I will seek a second term." Fitz paused before continuing. "And my answer to that would be no. I am not running for re-election."

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**A/N: I never knew how much I missed this story until I started this chapter. Let me know what you thought about this chapter and what yo****u would like to see happen in the story. I'm curious.**


	2. Opinions

**A/N: Really sorry that I took this long to update. I've been having a hard time writing lately so that's one reason for the delay. Updates may not be quick but I promise to make the wait worth it, hopefully. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 2: Opinions

Every journalist hand flew up and "Mr. President" was shouted repeatedly in an attempt to get Fitz's attention to get a question in. The press was to refrain from asking questions until Fitz was done but everyone wanted answers. He looked towards the back of the room where Cyrus stood and got what he was hoping for. Complete shock that was mixed with the beginning stages of anger. Fitz smirked to himself because he was able to pull off the nearly impossible. Whenever he is able to fool Cyrus into thinking one way and then successfully do the opposite, it was an accomplishment in itself.

"I know this comes as a shock to many and may bring happiness to some," Fitz said purposely ignoring the eager journalists for now. "But I'm not seeking re-election for great reasons. However, these reasons happen to be a private matter that I would like to be respected. Now, are there any questions?" he asked, as if no one was ready to grill him for answers.

Every hand went up again and Fitz chose the first person. He already knew that he would only call on three people because he still wanted to keep the whole thing short and simple. Fitz also had an idea about what questions that would be asked so he knew it would be over with soon.

"Mr. President, you mentioned that you had great reasons for doing this and we believe that to be true. But is there a way for you to give us a general idea without going in the detail?"

"It's fairly simply, Fitz said. "There comes a time in a man's life when he realizes that his priorities are not in order. And when he understands that, he is willing to do whatever it takes to fix it."

The journalist sat down and Fitz chose the next person.

"Mr. President, your father was in politics including several other relatives. You yourself have been involved in politics for a great part of your life. Does the recent news signal the beginning of the end of your political career?"

"It's a possibility that it is. Would I love to further my career? Yes. Would I want to be President again? Of course I would. However, there are several factors that will affect my future decisions when it comes to my career. The only thing I can see is that you all will have to wait and see what happens," Fitz said with a smile.

Fitz knew by this point Cyrus and Mellie were beyond ready to give him an ear full about his recent decision. The last person he chose was James, Cyrus' husband. It was like saying the best for last because Fitz knew James would have a question about his family.

"James Novak," Fitz said.

James rose to his feet. "Mr. President, I believe everyone in this room can easily agree that this is indeed a shock. This is simply unheard. How does your wife and children feel about your decision?"

"Gerry and Karen are fine with my decision because I was always their father first and President second. They also knew this job was not going to last forever and they are ok with that. "As for my wife, well…," Fitz said with a smile. He didn't want to lie because he knew America loved Mellie. Then again his whole marriage was a lie but he just wanted to keep things peaceful with her as long as possible. So he did what he did best. Lie to the media to make her look good. "My wife and I are like any normal couple. There are times when we agree to disagree. She would like to me run again but she respects my wishes and supports me unconditionally."

As soon as Fitz and Cyrus were back in the oval office, Fitz took of his suit jacket, undid his tie, and left them both on the couch. He took a seat behind his desk and watched as Cyrus began to pace the floor.

"Stop pacing back and forth Cyrus," Fitz said calmly.

But Cyrus ignored him. He was so pissed off that he didn't even know where to begin.

"If you pace any longer you are going to put a hole in the carpet."

Cyrus stopped and walked over to Fitz desk. "That's your concern right now. You just gave up your damn presidency and you are worried about some fucking carpet?" Cyrus fired off.

"Cy if you have something you would like to share I'm listening."

"Yes I would like to say something. Have you lost your damn mind? I did whatever was necessary for you to have this presidency and then you just going to walk away from it. It doesn't work that way."

Fitz stood back up, walked around his desk, and stood in front of Cyrus. "Let's get something straight. It was you, Mellie, Hollis, Verna, and Olivia who gave me this presidency. I didn't ask any of you to give me shit. So just because you chose to make that decision doesn't give you the right to dictate what I can and can't do. The days of you controlling me are over."

"Well, look who has a back bone all of sudden," Cyrus said.

"I've always had one. It just never showed because I was too busy trying to make everyone happy except for myself. But that won't happen anymore. Neither you nor Mellie will get in the way of that."

"Why aren't you happy Mr. President? Cyrus asked. There was no concern in his voice only sarcasm. You are the most powerful man on the planet. There are things you get to experience that most men only get to dream about. You have accomplished more than most will in a lifetime. A silver spoon was waiting for your mouth before you were even conceived. Everything you always wanted you got. Gerry, Karen, and Teddy are damn near perfect. And regardless of how you feel about Mellie, she does what it takes to make sure you sure you remain on top. So what am I missing here?"

"Olivia," Fitz said.

"She doesn't want you anymore Fitz," Cyrus said in frustration. "Haven't you learned anything since she started dating Jake? If she still wanted you it would have happened already. But it hasn't because she finally stopped being stupid and realized that she deserved more. That's one reason why I never liked you two together. Olivia was too good for you. And I'm glad she is no longer settling for the little that you were willing to give her."

"That's funny coming from you Cy. You don't even take your husband out in public. You are too afraid of what your conservative friends will say. Keeping your position is more important than your marriage."

"You're crossing a very thin line, boy."

"Look at that. I hit a nerve. Guess you're not the cold hearted bastard I thought you were."

Cyrus kept his eyes locked on Fitz's one but didn't say a word.

"Have a great evening, Cy," Fitz said dismissing him.

"Yeah, whatever," Cyrus said storming out the office.

As soon as the door closed it seemed to open again immediately. This time it was Mellie. "Have you lost your damn mind, Fitz?" she yelled at him.

"Nope, have you?" Fitz questioned as he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and took a seat on the couch.

"It's really not the time to be a smart ass. You told me that you were running for a second term."

"I know. But the more I thought about it the more I realized it's not something I want right now," he said simply as he rolled up his sleeves. Truthfully, he had no intention of doing another four years ever since Olivia chose Jake over him. He just made sure not to reveal his real plan until the last minute.

"Why not? You can't work this hard get to this point just to throw it away that easily. We all know you will win again. There's nothing keeping you from doing this job. Gerry and Karen are here for good, you and I actually get along for once, and the country wants you to remain president."

"I'm not changing my mind," he said. He was hoping she would drop it but Fitz knew that was wishful thinking.

"You think I'm just going to let you walk away from this presidency without a second thought?" Mellie asked losing her patience with Fitz's laid back attitude.

"But that's the thing Mellie, your opinion doesn't matter. Stop thinking that you are in charge or have any real power because you don't. If you want to have those two things then I would advise you to run for some type of office when we leave the White House. Until then, be quite and enjoy your last year as First Lady."

* * *

Olivia flipped through the channels before stopping on a national news station. She sat down, picked up the bowl of popcorn, and placed it in her lap. She usually watched the evening news at work if she wasn't too busy but she was out of the office most of the day. So she was out of the loop on what was current. When Olivia reached for her wine glass the news was coming back on from a commercial break. She didn't even take a sip of wine before placing the glass back down. Fitz was on tv and she quickly turned the volume up. _Well, I'll be damn,_ she said to herself once the clip of his announcement was done. Olivia was surprised and equally confused at what she just heard.

Two hours later Olivia was lying in bed when her phone began to ring.

"I'm surprised you answered," Fitz said after she picked up.

She wasn't expecting a call from him but at the same time it didn't come as a complete shock. After all, he did just give up his presidency. Talking to him wasn't a big deal because they were still friends. However, Olivia made sure that their interactions, on the phone and in person, were kept at a minimum.

"I didn't check the number before I answered. So you got lucky tonight."

"How is everything?" he asked after a brief silence.

"Work is still work and everything else is going fine," Olivia said. "How are things for you?"

"Some things could be better but overall everything is great."

"Even after that little announcement you made tonight?"

"So you saw it huh?"

"Yeah, I saw it on the news a little while ago. It was good. Just very funny also."

"Why was it funny? I was serious about everything I said."

"You were serious until you gave that last answer. Your wife respects your wishes and supports your decision? We all know that Mellie would rather soak herself in gasoline then walk through fire before she agrees to this."

Fitz burst out in laughter. "I swear this is the best laugh I had all week," he said after he stopped laughing long enough in order to say something.

"You're not suppose to be laughing, Fitz," Olivia said laughing a little herself. "It's not nice."

"I know but when you said that I actually visualized it. Then I thought about how there are times I wish she would actually do that."

"Fitz!" Olivia said as if she was shocked by what she was hearing. "You can't talk about Mellie like that. Even if you don't like her most of the time. That's still the mother of your children."

"Ok. I didn't really mean that last part. I'm sorry."

"Good."

Then the silence came. Olivia had very little to say while Fitz had too much he wanted to say.

"I miss this, Olivia," Fitz said in a serious tone. I miss having these late night conversations with you."

"It's not something that's going to continue to happen."

"I take it you say that because you have a boyfriend."

"Yes, that's exactly why I'm saying that.

"Fair enough," he said.

"If there isn't anything else I would like to get some sleep now," Olivia said as politely as possible.

"No, that's all for right now," Fitz said deciding not to push his luck any further for tonight. "Good night, Liv."

"Good night, Fitz."

He heard when she hung up but Fitz continued to hold the phone to his ear. Once he heard the dial tone, he slowly hung up the phone. Winning her back was going to be a lot harder than he thought it would be. But he refused to give up.

* * *

"So what are we doing tonight?" Olivia asked her sister Alicia. She and Jake were spending the weekend at her sister's house.

"We should go dancing. We haven't done that in years Liv."

"Sounds great. Oh wait, we can't," Olivia said. She looked over at Jake, who sat next to her, and started to giggle.

"What's so funny?" Alicia asked looking from Olivia to Jake.

"I have two left feet," Jake said.

"He can slow dance a little though. Just don't ask him to move any faster than that. Things get a little awkward from that point on."

"How can you slow dance but not dance?" Alicia said. "It's like every white guy I know can't dance."

"I'm not included in that group," Daniel, Alicia's husband said.

"My poor little confused husband," she said with a smile before kissing him on the lips.

"I tried to get her to teach me but she won't," Jake said. "But I think tonight would be a great time for her to show me something."

"Well if you want to embarrass yourself a little then I will," Olivia said with a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Great. Dancing it is then," Alicia said.

An hour later Jake, who was dressed for a night out, walked into the living room to see Daniel playing with his nineteen month old son.

"Someone is finally up I see," Jake said to Daniel as he took a seat in the recliner.

"Yeah, he is wide awake now. Hopefully it won't be hard to get him back to sleep later tonight. Good thing it's a Friday night just in case that happens."

"I agree."

A few minutes later Alicia came in the room and Jake stood up.

"The baby sitter should be here soon," she said to Daniel.

"Ok."

"Everything ok Jake?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah, I just wanted to know if I can talk to you about something."

"So what's on your mind captain?" she said closing the door behind her once they were on the deck outside.

They both sat down before he said anything. "It's about your sister."

"Well, I'll try to help you the best way I can. What is it?"

Jake took a deep breath and told her what he was thinking about for the longest. "I want to ask Olivia to marry me."

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**A/N: Thanks for the follows, favorites, and the reviews. Yes the reviews, even though 80% of it was negative. Most expressing how nauseated they felt after Jake and Olivia's sex scene. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I respect that. I do, however, greatly appreciate those who is willing to read this story even if they don't like everything that's happening. **

**Let me know what you thought about this chapter while I fight to get the next one written. Thanks again for reading. **


	3. Insecurities

**A/N: I'm finally back! Sincere apologizes because I know a lot of you are ready for this story to unfold. I am too. Unfortunately, writer's block still sucks, along with some other things. That's why the updates are still slow. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. **

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Chapter 3: Insecurities

Alicia looked at him quietly as the words sunk in. Jake wanted to marry Olivia. This did not surprise her at all. In fact, she was happy that Jake was ready to take the next step. She knew how he felt about her sister and Olivia felt the same way about him.

"So, what are your thoughts about that?" Jake asked somewhat nervously.

"I think it's a great idea. I know that you are in love with my sister and want to make her happy in every possible."

"I want to spend the rest of my life doing just that."

"But you're nervous."

"It's that obvious huh?" Jake asked.

"A little but it's natural to feel that way. Marriage is a lifelong commitment that is everything except easy. But I'm sure you know what will be required so I won't give you a speech about it."

"Thanks but I wish that was what I feared. That would make more sense." There wasn't much Jake was afraid of. The things he experienced in life and being in the military made him that way. However, when it came to his relationship with Olivia, there were two things he feared. Hurting her and losing her.

"Then what is it exactly?" Alicia asked.

"I don't want to lose your sister when her ex boyfriend finishes his last year in office as President."

Alicia raised an eyebrow as she debated mentally whether she heard Jake correctly or not. She thought about defending her sister but she chose not to. She was interested in hearing what type proof he had first.

"Olivia never told me but I'm aware of their relationship. Fitz has personally warned me to stay away from "his woman" more than once. He invited us to that state dinner just so he could have some alone time with her. He and I also got in a fight because he found out we were spending time together and I told him I wouldn't leave Olivia alone unless she wanted me to.

"Wow," she said in complete shock. Alicia was not expecting to hear something like that. "That's why you feel that Fitz will try to win Olivia back, even more now than before."

"It's almost a guarantee. Fitz and I were friends for a long time. And because of that, I know him. He always has a plan and never gives up on what he wants. I also believe that he will divorce Mellie soon."

"But his plan, if he has one, won't make a difference if she doesn't want to be with him. I think you need to understand that because if you don't your relationship will not survive. You don't want to lose her right?"

"Never."

"Ok then. So stop worrying if she still has feelings for him. It's not important because she is not acting on those feelings. Liv is also focusing on the relationship with you and that is what matter. My sister loves you, Jake. She's in love with you. Let that be enough."

Jake understood what Alicia was saying and she was right. He couldn't allow his insecurities to screw things up for him.

"I will," Jake said. He stood up and Alicia did the same. "Thanks for the tough love, Alicia."

She gave him a hug. "Anytime, Jake," Alicia said with a smile. "Just remember what I said. And please make sure you call my dad before you propose. He wouldn't love you any less if you didn't but he would be a disappointed."

"Don't worry. He's the next person on my list that I will talk to."

"Good."

They heard a knock on the sliding door before Olivia opened it.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Olivia said looking from Alicia to Jake.

"Not at all." Alicia said.

"Ok. Are you two ready to go?" Olivia asked them.

"Yes," they said in unison and the three of them went back inside.

* * *

Cyrus and Mellie sat together in a vacant room doing what they did best.

"Cyrus, what are we going to do? We can't just let Fitz throw everything away without trying to get him to change his mind.

"Don't you think I know that Mellie. Or do I need to remind you what I've done to make sure all of this was possible."

"Cyrus, please," Mellie said in annoyance. She had no problem in admitting that Cyrus was great at what he did. But one thing she did have a problem with was that he always wanted to take credit for everything. "There were five of us that are responsible for making this happen. And the way I look at it, no one's sacrifice was more than the next person. We all had something to gain from this presidency and now we are losing it. Fitz feels as though he has had an epiphany or going through a mid life crises. I really don't care what it is. I just want this problem fixed while he still has chance to run."

"Olivia's sacrifice was greater than all of ours," Cyrus mumbled absentmindedly. He knew Mellie said more after that but he tuned it out. He was more focused on figuring out a solution than listening to Mellie's never ending complaining.

Mellie rolled her eyes at the mentioning of Olivia's name.

"And that is the answer to all of our problems," Cyrus said suddenly.

"What exactly is the answer?"

"Not what but who."

When Cyrus said that, it didn't take long for Mellie to figure it out.

"No," Mellie said sternly.

"Why not?"

"I no longer want or need Olivia's help.

"But it could work Mellie. I would not have suggested it if I thought otherwise. We both know that Fitz does everything she's say to do."

"He doesn't," Mellie said, although she knew that Cyrus was right.

"Believe what you want to believe but it is true. Fitz also takes her opinion into consideration when she gives him one so why not use that to our advantage?"

"Because I'm beyond tired with the idea that Olivia Pope can influence my husband's decision making just by batting her eyes, an innocent smile, and the right movement of her hips in the bedroom," Mellie said with anger in her voice. "I'm not reliving that embarrassing and humiliating period in my life again, Cy. I refuse to because it's not worth it anymore. And why isn't there another way to get the same results?

Cyrus understood why Mellie was upset. No matter the reason for her marriage to Fitz, Cyrus knew Mellie had fallen in love. Whether it was an accident or on purpose was a concern for a later time. Right now, Mellie needed some convincing and Cyrus was determined to do just that.

"Mellie, let's look at how things really are and not the way you think it is. You won. Olivia is with Jake. That is all you need to remember because she is a one man type of woman when she is in a committed relationship. That means she will not be trying to take your husband away from you. I know that may not make sense to you because you still feel threaten by Olivia. But you shouldn't feel that way. She has Jake now," Cyrus said.

"Now let's talk about this presidency since it's the bigger picture and that is what is important," Cyrus continued. "I want to remain Chief of Staff, you want to be First Lady for another four years, and we know that Fitz is meant to be a two term president, not one. Unfortunately, we don't have too many options to choose from so I think it would a smart idea for us to try this one. You don't have to love it but you need to like it enough to go along with it. Olivia has a way of performing miracles and we need one right now if we want to remain in the White House.

"Ok, Mellie said. She was less than thrilled with this plan.

"And just remember this. There is no room for personal feelings and emotions when it comes to politics. All it does is distract you from accomplishing your goals. If you want to further a political agenda you have to do whatever is necessary to get it done."

"Stop lecturing me before I change my mind, Cyrus."

Cyrus nodded and pulled out his phone. A few moments later he was talking to Olivia.

"How can I help you Cyrus?" Olivia asked when she answered.

"Will you be free this afternoon? I need to speak with you. I would do it over the phone but it would be better to it in person."

"I will be busy for the rest of the week. Next Monday will be a better day for me."

"Great. That will work for me as well. I'll call when I'm on my way," Cyrus said.

"Ok. See you then, Cyrus."

Cyrus hung up after Olivia did. "Next Monday," he said to Mellie and she nodded.

* * *

"Olivia?" Jake called softly. In case she was sleeping he didn't want to wake her. They were both lying on the sofa. Olivia was resting on top of Jake as they watched tv until they fell asleep. However, Jake couldn't sleep.

"Mmm hmm," she hummed.

"Are you sleeping?"

"Just about," she responded.

"Ok," he said, deciding that maybe it was best to discuss her relationship with Fitz another time.

Olivia waited a few minutes to see if Jake was going to say anything else but he didn't.

"I can move if you need to get up," Olivia said to him.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Olivia noticed that he was being short with his answers so she knew that something was bothering him.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

There was a pause before he spoke. "I'm just thinking about how lucky I am to have this incredible, beautiful woman laying here with me," he said.

Olivia blushed. He was never short on words when it came to complimenting her and she enjoyed it. But she noticed his pause and wanted him to open up to her. "Good try but I know that's not what you were thinking at the moment. So, what's really going on?" she questioned.

So much for not talking about it tonight, he thought. "I want to ask you something your last relationship," he finally said.

She opened her eyes before lifting her head off of his chest to look at him. "What about it?" Olivia asked calmly, as if what he said didn't make her heart skip a beat. She wasn't sure how much detail he wanted but remaining vague as possible was her goal.

"I don't want a name or how long it lasted. I just want to know why it ended."

"May I ask why?" Olivia found this odd because they were plenty of times that Jake could have asked before now.

"We've never discussed our last relationship with one another. The only thing we know is that they both came to an end in a negative way. Those failures brought us to this point and I'm interested in understanding why," Jake said.

"Ok." There was a brief paused before she continued. "There were a couple of reasons why it didn't last. We both said and did some incredibly stupid things. Difficult situations also made our dating life complicated. And somehow, every time we thought we were on the right track we knocked ourselves off of it. All of this eventually led to us to breaking up."

Jake could see the hurt in Olivia's eyes even though she tried to hide it.

"I'm sorry you went through that. Of course, I am a little happy it didn't work out because you have me now," Jake said making a small smile appear on Olivia's face. "But I really wish you could have avoided experiencing that."

"Yeah, me too," Olivia said sadly. This is why she hated talking about her time with Fitz. Old memories and feelings always resurfaced because of it. Now that she was no longer with Fitz it was only one way she viewed their time together. She fell in love with the right person at the wrong time. To this day, Olivia was still hurt by their break up because they really had something special. In spite of the challenges they went through.

"What about you and your mystery lady?" Olivia asked, wanting to distract herself from thinking about Fitz.

"Things didn't work because she was crazy," Jake said simply.

"How crazy are we talking?"

"She's the type of woman that mothers warn their sons about."

"Really? What the hell did she do exactly?"

"She was with me for only the money. At first I didn't realize it because I thought I was in love with her. Our relationship was great but I wanted more, children and marriage. She wasn't ready for it yet and I respected her decision. But as time went on, I grew impatient and decided to break up with her. I told her that this would be the best thing for the both of us and that's when she told me that she was pregnant."

"What?!" Olivia said. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"It gets better. I was happy because I was really looking forward to being a dad but I felt like something wasn't right. For the sake of not having long drawn out story, I found out she was cheating on me two months later. I forced her to take a DNA test and the baby wasn't mine.

"Wait. She got with you for the money. Then when you wanted to break things off she used her pregnancy to keep you around until she was ready to leave you? Even though you weren't the father?"

"Yep," Jake said.

"I'm really sorry. The actions of some people are unbelievable. She definitely did not deserve you."

"I couldn't agree more." He learned a lot from that relationship. With the two main lessons being not to confuse lust for love and to be more careful about the women he got involved with.

"Maybe I should write a book about it to make some money." People love to read stuff like that right?"

"You wouldn't do it."

"I would. Maybe a movie would be a better choice," Jake said with a smile. I could use the extra cash

"If you say so Captain," Olivia said. She leaned forward and kissed him. She got up and went into the kitchen. Jake joined her as she was pouring herself a glass of juice.

"Are you sure you don't want to move in with me?" Jake asked, knowing that she probably hadn't changed her mind.

"No, sir," Olivia said as she placed the bottle of juice back in the fridge.

"It could be a lot of fun you know."

"Yeah but I still need a place to go to when I get mad at you. Or when I need a break from you," she said with a smile before taking a sip of her drink.

"You hardly ever get mad at me. As for a break, you never want one."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

Jake closed the space between them. "I'm very sure you don't want to be away from me." He lifted her chin and dropped his head to kiss her deeply.

"Your kisses will not work on me this time," Olivia said after he finished kissing her.

"I had to try. I wouldn't be myself if I didn't."

"Oh don't I know. She took a sip of her drink. "Now, I'm going to lie down in that big comfortable bed of yours. Are you going to join me?"

"That shouldn't even be a question."

Olivia then grabbed by the hand and led him to his bedroom.

* * *

**A/N: So no big reveals in this chapter. We did learn a little more about Jake and Olivia's pre****sent thoughts about Fitz. Cyrus and Mellie are up to their old ways, which is never a surprise. Let me know what you thought. I know the Olitz moments are lacking but I'll make up for that in the coming chapters. I promise.**

**If you haven't read "May the Best Man Win" yet, please do so. You will have a better understanding of this story because of it. **

**Still love the reviews, follows, and favorites. Thanks for reading. **


	4. Yes, No, Maybe So

**A/N: Look what I have here. A brand new chapter for you guys. Just a little heads up though if you don't like Jake. There may be a few things in this chapter that you won't like. So if you need to skip over it, I understand. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Yes, No, Maybe So

Jake woke up feeling nervous with excitement. It was the day that he was going to propose to Olivia. The whole week he spent a little less time with her to get things in order for tonight. He had call Rowan Pope earlier in the week to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. It was something that Jake really wanted to do in person but work made it impossible for him to do so. Jake got along great with Rowan which made it easier for him to ask, in spite of his nervousness. But thankful Rowan gave his blessing without any hesitation.

Jake got dressed and left for work a little early than he usually did. He had to stop by the florist before going to work. On his way there he made a few calls. One to the jewelry store to make sure the customized engagement ring he came in. The second call was to make sure the reservations he made at Olivia's favorite restaurant was still in place. And the third call was to a rental car place.

* * *

It was a little after ten a.m. when Olivia, Harrison, Abby, Quinn, and Huck were leaving out of the conference room to go to their separate offices. They all heard when the elevator door open and saw a delivery guy with a bouquet of two dozen white roses walked in.

"Well, those are definitely not for me," Harrison said with a chuckle before turning to head for his office. Huck didn't say anything but did the same as Harrison.

"I'm looking for Ms. Olivia Pope," the delivery guy said.

"That would be me," Olivia said, walking towards him.

Abby and Quinn disappeared to their offices.

"Here you go," he said handing the flowers to her "This envelope also came with it."

"Thank you. If you give me a second I can get your tip for you."

"That won't be necessary Ms. Pope. The person who purchased these took care of that."

Olivia smiled. "Well, ok. Thank you again. Have a nice day."

"You too," the man said with a smile and step back onto the elevator.

Olivia placed the flowers on her desk. She opened the white envelope and saw a card that read, "Just thinking of you" on the front. When she opened the card she immediately saw a credit card with Jake's name on it. It came as a surprise to her. She then read the message the card had itself and then the note that Jake wrote inside.

"_While I understand that roses are not unique, I know you would still love them anyway. I'm looking forward to our date tonight and I hope you are as well. The credit card I sent is for you. I want you to buy any dress you want and everything you need to go with it. Have a great day at work. I'll see you at 8. – Love, Jake._

* * *

Dinner was a success. Olivia had thoroughly enjoyed her night out with Jake and was still unaware of his pending proposal. Jake was waiting until they made it back to her place to propose. He thought about doing in the restaurant or taking her somewhere nice downtown to do it but he changed his mind. He wanted this special moment to only be between the two of them.

Olivia locked the door and set her keys down on the table that was nearby.

"I'm going to change."

"Don't do that yet," Jake said to her. "There's something I want to share with you first."

"Ok," she said.

He took her hands into his and stared into her eyes.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope. I had only two thoughts when I first saw you. The first was 'wow, she is gorgeous'. The second was 'I would never have a chance with her'. But, I'm so glad you felt differently about me having a chance with you. That small gesture of letting me get to know you led me to see how breathtaking you really were. Not only are your looks breathtaking but your personality is as well. To the world you are this strong, smart, powerful, badass of a woman. That side is great to see. But seeing the humble, gentle, caring, playful, and loving side of you is what made me fall in love with you." Jake paused before continuing. "Being with you has been amazing. You are everything that I have dreamed of wanting and more. I can't wait to see where this relationship takes us."

Without breaking eye contact with Olivia, Jake lowered himself until he was down on one knee.

"What I really want to say is this. I want to have endless mornings and nights with you. I want little ones running around that has your eyes, smile, and laugh. I want to experience it all with you. But more than anything, I want a lifetime with you."

Jake reached for the inside pocket of his jacket and pull out a little black box. He lets go of hand to open up the box to reveal a diamond ring.

"Olivia, will you marry me?"

There it was. The man she fell in love with unexpectedly was ready to be her husband. She was experiencing a whirlwind of emotions at that moment. Only positive emotions.

"Yes!" she said excitedly, nodding her head as well.

"Yes?" he asked with a grin.

"I would love to marry you Jake," she said, grinning back at him with tears in her eyes.

He slid the ring onto her finger and got to his feet. He wiped away the few tears that eventually fell from her eyes before kissing her passionately. The relief he was felt was indescribable.

Jake broke their kiss just to stare at her for few moments. "This is really happening" he thought to himself.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him, "Are you planning to stare at me all night?"

He smiled. "I haven't decided yet."

Olivia chuckled.

"I love you, you know," he said, as if she didn't know.

"I know you do," she said. "And I love you too."

She pulled his head down and gave him a simple kiss that lingered for a few seconds.

She pulled back from him and started to play with his tie.

"I think it's time to do a little celebrating. So I need you to remove your jacket, shoes, and get down on your knees," Olivia said, causing Jake to raise an eyebrow.

"Umm, what are you getting ready to do to me, Olivia?"

"Just follow my directions and maybe I'll go easy on you Mr. Ballard."

A smirk came to Jake's face and he did what she requested.

"Now was that so bad?" She asked looking down at him.

"No, ma'am," Jake said.

"Good," She placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself.

Jake watched her closely as she slowly took off each heel one at a time.

"How did you make taking off heels look that sexy?"

She shrugged her shoulders shyly. "I guess it's just one of my many talents."

"That's when she unzipped her dress, took her arms out of it, and pulled it off. Making sure it was out of the way.

With both hands now on his shoulders, Olivia lowered herself to her knees. Jake waited for her next move in anticipation. He didn't have to wait long. She leaned in and kissed him. He held her close while her hands worked on unbuckling his belt. Olivia pulled it off and threw it someone where on the floor. Then she leaned forward until he was lying on his back and got on top of him. She began unbuttoning his shirt. The lower her hands went down her lips did too. Jake waited until she was making her way back up before swiftly wrapping an arm around her body and flipping her onto her back.

Jake quickly took off his shirt. Then he kissed her again before making his way down her body, leaving kisses behind on her stomach. When he reached her waist, Olivia watched as he pulled of her panties. He kissed her inner thighs a few times, causing her to close her eyes. The second she felt Jake's tongue touch her center she let out a satisfying moan. Her moans were a like sweet music to his ears. It was a sign of not only pleasure but also enjoyment, and he couldn't get enough of it. He kept a slow and steady pace as he reached down with one hand to unbutton and unzipped his pants, without her knowing. He unexpectedly stopped what he was doing and went to her neck. Olivia felt his lips on her neck the same time he entered her. It was a feeling that she wasn't expecting yet but gladly welcomed.

* * *

Hours later, Olivia was suddenly woken up by the sound of her house phone ringing. She didn't want to answer but it was a chance that it could be a work related emergency so she did.

"Olivia Pope," she said after placing the phone to her ear.

"Hi," Fitz said.

"Isn't this just great timing," she thought when she heard his voice. Olivia was still between sleep and awake so she was slow to respond.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" he asked after a brief silence.

"Yeah, you caught me at a really bad time."

"Oh," Fitz said slowly. "I'm sorry." Realizing that he didn't just wake her up but Jake was probably lying next to her as well.

Olivia heard the disappointment in his voice but didn't address it. Nor did she address the fact that he was calling her one o'clock in the morning.

"Did you need something?" Although she just was ready to get off the phone with him, she was being nice to him. Olivia just hoped he had a good reason to be calling this late.

"Actually I wanted to invite you something. You remember that Karen's birthday is coming up right?"

"Yes, it's on the 20th," she said.

"Well, Mellie and I decided to give her a surprise birthday party. It's not going to be anything big but we are inviting some of her friends from school. We are going to let her have a sleep over as well. Anyway, I was wondering if you could come to the party. You don't have to stay long. I just thought it would be a nice surprise for Karen if you could make it."

Olivia quickly thought over what Fitz said. She didn't mind going to the party. She would enjoy seeing the Karen and Gerry again. She had only seen them three times in person since they moved in the White House. Being there would be a surprise for the both of them. However, the only thing Olivia didn't want to deal with was having any alone time with Fitz. And she had a way to make sure that didn't happen.

"Ok. I'll come but only under one condition."

"What's that?"

"That the invite is for two people instead of one," she said.

Fitz knew she was referring to bringing Jake along. He really hated that idea but reluctantly agreed to her terms.

"Ok. I'll let you know the time later. Good night, Liv."

"Good night," said and hung up the phone. She looked over at Jake, who was still sleeping. She had nothing to feel guilty about but this was one night that she was beyond thankful that he was a hard sleeper.

* * *

"What did you need to talk to me about Cyrus?" Olivia asked after closing her apartment door.

"I want to discuss your favorite person in the world. You want to guess who that is?"

"No but I'm sure you're going to tell me who it is anyway."

"It's Fitz. He's gone a little crazy lately. If you haven't noticed he's not running again and that's a problem. He's giving it up for a dumb reason. I need you to talk to him while there's still time."

"I wondered how long it was going to take you before you ask me to talk to Fitz," Olivia said. But, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Cy. I have no desire to talk to him about changing his mind.

"Come on Liv. Why can't you do it? You know he's a great guy. You thought he hung the moon and the stars in the sky just for you because of it. Why can't you give him the push he needs so his greatest can continue? He still has a long list of goals that is left to accomplish in order to make this county better. Think about the American people and the more he could do for them by staying in the White House."

"The American people? I'm sure you meant think about people like you, Mellie, Hollis, and whoever else behind the scenes that could benefit from a two term Grant administration. I'm not signing up for a Defiance part two. An election won't be stolen this time but it would be the same storyline. A group of people still be manipulating Fitz because of their own selfish reasons. So I'm going to say this in a different way for you to understand. Fitz is no longer my priority and any situation he puts himself in is no longer my concern," Olivia said.

"You're engaged?" Cyrus questioned suddenly. He hadn't notice her ring until now.

"I am," Olivia said. "Jake proposed three days ago."

"Congratulations, Liv." He really was happy for her. "I'm bit sad that I had to find out this way."

"Thank you. Most people don't know yet so don't take it personal."

Cyrus gave her a smile. "Just invite me to the wedding and all will be forgiven."

She smiled. "I might be able to do that. Was that all you needed today?"

"I guess it is." He walked towards the door and Olivia opened it for him. "If you change your mind just let me know. I prefer you tell me sooner rather than later."

"I won't be changing my mind but thanks for the reminder. You take care, Cyrus."

"You too, Olivia."

* * *

"Sir, there is something I would like to share with you," Cyrus said while walking towards Fitz's desk.

"What is it, Cyrus." Fitz didn't bother to look up from his desk. He was in the middle of writing out some notes that needed to be included in his speech on the economy that he was set to give next month. Fitz also wasn't in the mood for small talk.

"I just spoke to Olivia."

Fitz stopped writing and looked at him. "You're always talking to her. What makes your recent conversation with her that special that you feel the need to share it with me?

"That's because she's engaged, sir."

"What?" Fitz asked, truly hoping that Cyrus was lying to him.

"Jake proposed to her over the weekend. I saw the ring myself," Cyrus said.

Cyrus waited for an outburst or a facial expression to tell him how Fitz felt but neither thing happened. Instead, Fitz just stared at him.

"Mr. President?"

"You can leave now," Fitz said with an even tone. He picked up his pen and started to write again. He did not want to give Cyrus the satisfaction of knowing how the news was really affecting him.

Seconds later, Fitz heard the door closed and tossed the pen onto his desk. He leaned back in the chair and sighed deeply. Fitz could no longer focus on the speech after what he just heard. His main concern at this point was what his next move was going to be.

* * *

**A/N: This was one of my favorite chapters I've ever written for any of my stories. There were just so many reasons why I had fun writing it. Rowan Pope is not the head of B613 in this story by the way. Anyway, let me know what you thought. **

**Side note: We have four days left until Scandal returns! I'm beyond excited because it's been a miserable hiatus. So in recognition of that I wanted to share a few things I want to see happen this season.**

** - Fitz does what he wants to do and divorce Mellie**

** - Olivia tells Mellie off and puts Cyrus in his place**

** - Flashbacks of Jake and Fitz during their Navy days together **


	5. Love and War Pt 1

**I have a good reason for being late this time. I went on vacation. I'm really glad that a lot of you liked the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as well. Now, a huge part of this chapter was written in one day. So if it sucks I apologize. **

* * *

Chapter 5: Love and War Pt.1

**Two weeks later. **

It was a little after seven p.m. and Olivia and rest of the Gladiators were still at work. They were currently taking a short break to eat some take out because they had another two hours of work ahead of them. They were all sitting at the conference table together but in their own world. When Olivia was finished with her food, she stepped out in the hallway to call Jake.

"What are you doing?" Olivia asked after they greeted each other.

"Something I hate doing but I don't have a choice right now," Jake said somewhat frustrated.

"I'm going to guess that its work related."

"Yep. It's requiring me to go out of town for a few days. I won't be back until Tuesday."

"Really? I thought you were going to be free to be free this weekend?"

"It's a last minute thing and you know how that goes. The President personally wanted me to do this and I'm just obeying orders." Jake couldn't stand that fact that Fitz pulled strings to get him out of town before his daughter's birthday party. He knew Fitz only did it to have some alone time with Olivia. Jake thought the idea was hilarious in a pathetic kind of way.

When Jake mentioned Fitz she knew exactly why he was leaving out of town. She had the sudden urge to call Fitz and give him an earful but she decided against it. She was going to let him know how she felt about his latest tricks when she saw him in person.

"I'm really sorry that you are being sent out of town, especially on such short notice."

"Yeah, me too but it comes with the job. I just really wish I could go with you to the birthday party." Jake was really looking forward to going. At first he hated the idea but soon grew to like it. He would've gotten to see Karen and Gerry, who he hadn't seen since Fitz was governor. But showing off Olivia was the main reason why he wanted to go. Being with Olivia while Fitz was around wasn't something he got to do often but thoroughly enjoyed whenever he had the chance to do so.

"I wish you were too but its fine," Olivia said.

Olivia saw that Huck, Abby, Quinn, and Harrison were throwing their trash away and knew it was time to get back to work.

"I have to get back to work so I'll give you a call when I get home."

"Ok. Don't work too hard.

"I'll try not to."

"Love you," Jake said.

"I love you too," Olivia said before hanging up.

* * *

**Three days later. **

Olivia arrived to the White House twenty minutes before everything was set to start. She would've gotten there a little earlier but she felt that that would be awkward. When she got there she didn't have a chance to talk to Fitz because he and Mellie were taking care of some last minute things. So while Olivia waited she was caught up on how school were going with Gerry and Karen and even played with Teddy a little bit before he was put down for a nap.

When Fitz saw that Olivia had finally arrived he led everyone outside to the Rose Garden. And that's when Karen got a shock of a lifetime. The Rose Garden was decorated just for her and her four closest friends were there: two were from her current school and two from her old one. But that was not what really shocked her even though she was happy they were there. Seeing that her favorite teen male singer was there left her speechless.

The singer put on an hour long miniature concert for Karen and her friends. He entertained the teen girls with his voice and dance moves. They couldn't stop smiling and singing along the entire time. Karen even got to do a duet with the singer which made the experience even more memorable. The day was far from over with but her 14th birthday was one that she would never forget.

Two hours later Olivia was standing against the wall as she watched Karen and her friends sing karaoke. Fitz came over and stand next to her.

"I'm glad that you came."

"Thanks for inviting me."

Fitz nodded. "It's a shame that Jake couldn't make it though."

Olivia shot him a look.

"What?" Fitz asked, trying his best not to smile.

"You know what. Jake would've been here if you it wasn't for you. He just conveniently gets sent out of town around the same time we both invited to this party.

"It's pure coincidence," Fitz said with a smile. Not denying at all.

"Yeah, I bet it is _Mr. President_," Olivia said sarcastically.

"Livvie, don't do that," he said, dropping his voice on purpose. "You know you turn me on when you call me that."

Olivia smirked. "You're right and I kind of feel bad about it. You're stuck with Mellie now and we both know how successful she is in _that_ department."

Fitz immediately started to laugh but kept it as quiet as possible. Even Olivia laughed a little herself.

"I never knew how much you hate Mellie until now. That was a bit harsh Liv. Accurate but harsh," Fitz said enjoying this side of Olivia.

"Hate is such a strong word. Let's just say I don't like her half of the time."

"You and I both," Fitz said smiling down at her.

Olivia gave him a smile back right before Karen walked up to them. Olivia could feel Mellie's eyes on her but she ignored it.

" Dad, can I open this now?" Karen asked holding the present that Olivia brought for her.

"Don't you want to wait to open it with your other presents?"

"Not really. Ms. Olivia's gifts are always the best and the wait is killing me, dad."

"She is the birthday girl, Fitz. Opening one gift now won't hurt anyone, Olivia said taking Karen's side.

"Well, Olivia has given the ok."

"Yes!" Karen said happily.

Olivia and Fitz watched as Karen walked over to a table that was a few steps away from them and took off the wrapping paper. She opened the white box as quickly as she could and was delighted with what she saw. It was a handmade jewelry box with Karen's full name and birth date engraved on top of it.

"Thank you," Karen said to Olivia.

"You're welcome but there's another gift inside. Check the bottome draw."

Karen did what she said and saw a diamond necklace with matching earrings and bracelet. She immediately became happier than she was a few moments ago.

"Thank you again!" Karen said before attacking Olivia with a hug.

"I'm glad you like it," Olivia said with a chuckle. She wasn't expecting this type of reaction but she enjoyed it.

"I don't like it. I love it!" she said after finally letting Olivia go. "Can I go show this to my friends and mom?"

Yes but just make it quick so you can put it in your room and get back to your party," Fitz said.

"Ok," Karen said with a smile before hurrying off with her new jewelry box in hand.

"I'll be right back," Fitz said.

"Ok."

Olivia watched as Fitz crossed the room to talk to Mellie. She wasn't sure what the topic was but whatever it was, Mellie wasn't happy about it. Olivia turned her attention back to what Karen and her friends were doing. A few minutes later, Fitz was walking towards her again.

"Pick a room," Fitz said casually when he stopped in front of her.

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to pick a room for us so we can talk in private."

"There's nothing for us to talk about."

"Yes there is. As long as you are with Jake and have that ring on your finger, I will have a lot to say. Fitz glanced down at her hand before making eye contact with her again. It was the first time that he had acknowledged her engagement. When Cyrus had informed him about it he didn't even call Olivia to congratulate her. He just couldn't find the strength to do so. "Just give me fifteen minutes of your time. That's all I want. I promise."

"Don't make me regret being nice to you," she said seriously.

'You won't."

"Why can't we just go to your office?"

"Because I'm always in there and would like to go some place different. I also don't want Mellie to be able to find us if she happens to come looking for us."

Olivia didn't like the sound of this. It reminded her of the days when she and Fitz use to sneak around to be together. But those days were long gone.

"Fine. I know where we can go."

* * *

The place that Olivia chose was the Red Room, which was located on the first floor of the White House. It was a room she fell in love with years ago because of the soothing feeling that came over her when she was in there. It was also a place she could go with Fitz that wouldn't raise any suspicion.

Tom was standing guard right outside the door. Fitz gave him direct orders to come in after fifteen minutes were up and that made Olivia feel a little better in regards to Fitz's true intentions.

Fitz waited until Olivia took a seat before he did. He sat down in a chair across from her.

"Cyrus came to see me. He was hoping he could convince me to talk to you about a second term."

"Yeah he told me he saw you. As far as re-election, he knows where I stand on that and I won't be changing my mind."

"And I won't be trying to change it either," Olivia said.

"Good," Fitz said.

"But I have to ask. Why aren't you running again?" she asked curiously.

"This is something that my dear wife and right hand man Cyrus fail to realize. I have reached a point in my career where I feel complete. I've dedicated my entire life to politics and I have succeeded in every way that I wanted to. I'm grateful for that. Beyond thankful. But I've grown tired of politics because there are more important things that I'm concerned with."

"And what's that?"

"Being with you," Fitz thought to himself.

"My kids," Fitz said truthfully, although it was only partially true.

"Well, I think that's a great reason. It just doesn't make sense what Cyrus said."

"What did he tell you?"

"He said that you were giving this all up for a stupid reason," Olivia said.

"Cyrus isn't exactly a family oriented man so I'm not shocked that he said that." Cyrus really thought it was stupid that Fitz wanted to give it all up to chase after Olivia.

Olivia nodded in agreement and nothing else was said. Fitz couldn't keep his eyes off Olivia while Olivia did her best to avoid eye contact. She eventually got up and walked over to one of the paintings that hung on the wall. Olivia studied it as if she never seen it before and then walked over to another one. She was ready for their fifteen minutes to be over with. The only reason why she didn't leave yet was because she was willing to give him the time that he had asked for. Olivia still wasn't sure why she agreed to this in the first place.

"I'm going to divorce her," Olivia heard Fitz say. He voice sounded close and when she turned around she knew why. He was standing behind her. She immediately took a few steps away from him.

"Why now?" It wasn't a question she meant to ask but curiosity won over.

"Because I'm done pretending to the world that I want to be with her," Fitz said.

He took a few steps towards her and when she didn't move it surprised him.

"Fitz, I'm engaged now," Olivia said softly.

"I know."

"And I'm not leaving him for you," Olivia said, speaking a little louder this time.

"I know and I don't expect you to. Not anymore," Fitz said.

Olivia didn't expect a confession like that.

"I waited too long to give you what you deserved and Jake benefited from that. I really do hate that he did."

Fitz reached for her left hand and lifted it up to look at her ring. He couldn't help but think that the ring she wore should've been from him instead of Jake.

"I have to say he does have good taste," Fitz said before looking into her eyes again.

Olivia slowly pulled her hand away from his but not before a few moments passed by. "He does," she said.

"It makes sense. He did fall in love with you like I did," Fitz said. He knew professing his undying love for Olivia was irrelevant at this point but he couldn't help how he still felt.

There was a knock at the door and Tom appeared. Olivia was relieved.

"Sir, it's time," Tom said.

"Ok. We'll be there in a second."

Tom nodded and left them alone again but this time the door was open.

"We should go," Olivia said. She really didn't know what else to say at this point.

"We will. But I want you to know one more thing. Fitz leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I will respect your relationship with Jake because that's what you want. Your happiness is my main concern. But understand this. If he ever screws up, it's fair game."

And with that Fitz kissed her on the cheek before leaving.

* * *

**One month later.**

Two secret service agents stepped off the elevator at OPA while two others stayed behind. Olivia heard her office door open without a knock. She turned around and when she saw who it was she began to panic slightly. "What is he doing here," she thought to herself as she rushed towards the elevator after the agent determined her office was safe. But who Olivia saw walk off the elevator wasn't Fitz.

"Hello Olivia," Mellie said with a smile. Her signature fake smile.

* * *

**There's actually a Red Room in the W.H. for those who may not know. I wasn't aware of this until I saw it online. And can I just say Karen probably had the best birthday any 14 year old could ask for. Anyway, let me know what you thought about the chapter. In the summary for this story I said that Fitz's actions were going to affect him, Olivia, and Jake. This chapter has set that in motion. **

**Thanks for the reviews. They still make my day. **


	6. Love and War Pt 2

**A/N: I am so proud of myself. I finally got an update out before another 30 years passed by lol. The only thing that's better than this is that I've already started the next chapter. **

**The flashback at the beginning is to show why Mellie went to see Olivia. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 6: Love and War Pt 2

**Two hours ago.**

"Fitz I thought you had a meeting," Mellie said. She was surprise when Cyrus came to her ten minutes ago and said that Fitz wanted to talk to her.

"I did but I pushed it back an hour. I had other important things that I needed to handle instead."

"Like?"

Fitz rose from his seat behind his desk and held up an envelope for Mellie to see. "Making sure this was in order before I gave them to you."

"Fitz I'm not in the mood for a guessing game."

"You don't have to guess. It's divorce papers."

Mellie let out a laugh at the word divorce. "I went through all this shit with you and you just want to throw me away? Like me and this marriage never meant a thing to you. I don't expect any more than that from you though. You're still the same old Fitz. To prideful to admit that I'm actually a good wife to you.

"A good wife? You're not even worthy to be called anyone's wife because of the way you act."

"Have you forgotten about the things I've done for you? Things I've done for you even when you didn't deserve it at times because of the way you've treated me. I fulfilled my wifely duties. I stood by you when your head almost got blown off. Did what was necessary, from the beginning, to make sure you succeeded politically without a second thought. I cared, loved, and supported you when no one else gave a damn about you. But you choose to ignore the things that really matter."

"You know, I think you've spent so much time in your fairy tale land that you've forgotten who you really are. What you are really like. Sure, you did do all of those things you mentioned. But when you look at the reasoning behind it, it doesn't mean shit. You only fulfilled your wifely duties because it was part of the package deal when you married me. We both know how tragedies could be use to your advantage. An attempted assassination equaled higher approval ratings in your eyes. As far as doing what was necessary to enhance my career you only did it to ultimately be First Lady and have a political career of your own one day. Now, would you like to try and find another way to make yourself look like an amazing wife? Or do I need to talk about how you use your willing to use your own kids as pawns to get what you want," Fitz said.

"Why do you want a divorce?" Mellie asked. There was no sadness in her voice but it was in her eyes. Mellie couldn't understand why her marriage was still going to fail. This was not supposed to happen. Especially since Olivia was no longer an obstacle in their relationship.

"Mellie, I don't want to argue with you but I will be honest with you. I no longer want to be married to you. I appreciate the things you have genuinely done for me. And I will forever be thankful for those three beautiful children you gave me. But you and I both know that we are not right for each other. A marriage built on anything besides true love is doomed from the start. I don't want to live a life like this anymore. It's time for me to walk away from it and you need to do the same.

Mellie stood there for a moments in silence before responding. "Ok. If this is what you want then so be it." She walked over to his desk and picked up the envelope of off his desk and left.

Once Mellie reached her office, she called her lawyer. She scheduled to have a meeting with him for the next day. After the call, Mellie thought about what just happened. She was proud of herself for not begging Fitz to stay with her. Any other time she would have fought harder against getting a divorce but she it was no use. However, she was disappointed and hurt that things still didn't work out the way she planned. Her scheme to use Jake to keep Olivia away was done in vain.

* * *

**Present**

Olivia forced a smile. "This is an expected surprise but it's great to see you again, Mrs. Grant," Olivia said before extending a hand towards her. After Mellie shook her hand, Olivia got straight to the point.

"Did you need something?" It probably sounded rude but Olivia didn't care. She just wanted Mellie out of her place of business as faster than she came in.

"I don't need anything except for five minutes of your time. I want to speak to you about Jake. I would've called you instead but some things should be said in person and not over the phone," Mellie said. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

"Umm, sure," Olivia said slowly. "You can follow me."

They both headed to Olivia's office. Olivia closed the door behind her once they were inside. Olivia was calm on the outside the entire time. But on the inside, she felt completely different because her gut was telling her that something wasn't right.

"How are things with you and Jake?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know it's strange for me to ask that but I would like to know."

"Everything is great between us. Can you get to the part where you share what you need to say about Jake? I have a client coming in soon," Olivia said politely as possible.

"You know? That's one thing I've always admire about you, Olivia. You always knew how to show bravery when facing uncertainty. However, I'm not here to praise you. Fitz has done enough of that to last a lifetime. I'm here to share a little secret with you about your soon to be husband."

Olivia just watched Mellie closely as she continued.

"I'm glad that things are going well for you with Jake. He's always been a sweet guy from the time I meet him. He's not that bad looking either. Those are the reasons why I chose him to pursue you. Well, not really. There were other reasons as well, one being I found out something about him. Luckily for me, it didn't take much convincing after that. It's amazing what kind of leverage you have over people when you use a secret of theirs as a weapon. It kind of sound like what you do for work."

"Get out of my office," Olivia said unexpectedly. Anger was slowly building up inside of Olivia but like always, she kept her composure together.

Mellie smirked at Olivia's demand. "Wouldn't you like to know why Jake would agree to do such a horrible thing?"

"No and frankly I don't want to hear anything else you have to say. The only reason why you are here is because you are trying to ruin other people lives since yours is falling apart. I know you're getting a divorce. And you want to know why Fitz is divorcing you? It's because your evil ways and nasty attitude. You've always been your own worst enemy Mellie. And until you change, no man will ever love or want to fully be committed to you. You also will never be truly happy. Now, get out of my office before I throw you out myself!"

Mellie rolled her eyes in attempt to show that Olivia's words didn't cut deep, although it did, before walking out of her office.

Once Mellie was out of her sight, Olivia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She slowly counted to five before she reopened them. She did it to keep herself from breaking down at the moment but the one tear that fell down her cheek was an indication that she was going to fall apart at any second. After quickly wiping the tear away, Olivia went to the conference room.

All of her associates were sitting at the table when Olivia walked in. They were in there when Mellie showed up there unannounced and waited patiently for her to leave so they could talk to Olivia.

"I don't want any more surprises today. So no one is allowed to step foot off of that elevator without my permission. Understood?" Olivia said.

"Yes," they all said in unison. They all gave each other a look, trying to understand what was going on.

As quickly as Olivia entered, she was leaving out. Harrison was immediately on his feet and out the door right behind her.

"Liv, what about our client? She'll be here in five minutes."

Olivia stopped walking and faced him.

"Harrison, tell her to come back later today or to reschedule."

"What did Mellie say to you?" Harrison questioned. Hoping this one time Olivia would open up to him.

Abby, Quinn, and Huck were now standing a few feet behind Harrison, also wanting to know the answer to that question. Instead of answering Harrison, Olivia just looked from him to the rest of her associates before leaving them.

Olivia nearly slammed the door to her office and quickly sat down behind her desk. She crossed her arms on her desk and dropped her head. And she did something she rarely did. She cried.

Meanwhile, Harrison, Abby, Quinn, and Huck all stared at Olivia's office door in disbelief and confusion. They were really worried about Olivia. It wasn't the strict rule she just gave them that left them speechless it was the tears that they saw forming in her eyes before she disappeared into her office. Abby was the first to break the silence.

"Is she…"

"Crying?" Harrison asked. "Yes. Probably."

More silence.

"Are we going in there? We can just stand here when it's clear that she's really upset about something," Quinn said.

"No," Huck said quickly. "If Olivia needed us she would have come to us."

"Huck, you really can't believe that," Abby said to him. "This is Olivia we are talking about. She tries to take care of the whole world but yet doesn't know when she needs caring for. So even if she truly needed us she would never come out and say it."

"Abby is right," Harrison said. "Olivia is stubborn and that's her downfall at times."

"We need to help her then. "Because that's what we do, right? We help people when they need it the most. Even when they don't think they do" Quinn said, hoping that they would change their mind.

"We help those who are our client. Olivia is not our client, Huck said causing them all to look at him. "She'll find a way to handle this on her own. Like she always does." Huck wanted to take away Olivia's pain more than the others would ever know but it was something he would never tell them.

With that, Huck was the first one to leave and the rest of them slowly left, one by one.

* * *

After a few minutes of crying, Olivia finally pulled herself together. For the first time in a long time she felt lost, hurt, and vulnerable in an unhealthy kind of way. She hated it. Olivia was angry at Jake by more angry with herself. How could she be stupid to let her guard down so soon after Fitz? Yes, she and Fitz were done for almost a year before Jake came into the picture but she was still emotionally attached to Fitz. If she wasn't, she would not have spent all those months feeling depressed and broken. But she saw something in Jake. He was unexpected, different, and refreshing. Jake was going to be her do-over and he was nothing short of that. However, none of it meant anything at this point because she was questioning everything, especially his love for her since the second Mellie shared that information with her.

Olivia picked up her phone and called Cyrus. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Cyrus, I need to talk to Fitz," Olivia said choosing to skip the formalities.

"Fitz?"

"Yes, Fitz," Olivia said annoyed. "Is he around?"

"No, he's in a meeting right now," Cyrus said.

"Do you know when he'll be out?"

"He should be done in twenty minutes or so. Is everything ok?" Cyrus asked with concern. He knew Olivia and Fitz weren't close like they use to be and her needing to talk to him right now was a bit strange to him.

"No, things are not ok and I really need to talk to Fitz. So when he gets out of his meeting, make sure you have him call me back immediately. It's extremely important. If you have to tell him that it's an emergency, you do that."

"Ok, I will. If you need anything before then let me know Liv."

"Thank you, Cyrus," Olivia said before hanging up.

She tossed the phone back onto the desk and buried her head in her hands. She needed to get back to work but she didn't feel like it just yet. Hiding out in her office for the rest of the day was not an option either. But giving herself a little more time to process what was going on was a must. That's when her phone ringed and she quickly picked it up to check the number. It was Jake. Olivia knew she should answer it but instead she hit ignore before placing her phone back on the desk. She couldn't ignore Jake forever but for the time being she was going to.

* * *

**A/N: Oh Mellie lol. You just got to love her. Misery loves company. I could have had Olivia put Mellie in her place better than that but I held back. But if anyone wants to see Olivia really hurt Mellie feelings, go read my one shot "Hitting Below the Belt". (I love to hate Mellie although she's starting to grow on me lol) Anyway, let me know what you thought about this chapter.**

**Someone left a review a while ago that I wanted to address. The person said that they read "May The Best Man Win" four times as they waited for me to write this sequel. Just wanted to say that I'm impressed and really flattered by that. (sorry I couldn't find the exact review to include a name.) **


	7. Love and War Pt 3

**A/N: This chapter was another favorite of mine to write. This story is still a Olitz/Olake story. The endgame still won't be revealed until the end. Read into that anyway you want. If you no longer want to read this story, be my guest. **

* * *

Chapter 7: Love and War Pt. 3

Olivia's phone went off fifteen minutes later and she saw that it was Cyrus calling.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Olivia, it's me," Fitz rushed out.

"Fitz," she said with a sigh.

"Livvie, what's wrong? Cyrus said you were upset."

"I'm a little more than that right now."

"Did Jake do something to hurt you?" Fitz questioned and immediately regretted saying it because it made him sound like a jerk. "Liv, I'm so- "

"You're right, Olivia said, cutting him off. And he wasn't alone in this."

"Tell me what happened?" Fitz was slowly developing a deeper level of hatred towards Jake.

"Mellie hired Jake to fake an interest in me to keep you and me apart."

"How did you find this out?" Fitz asked after a brief silence passed.

"Mellie came here not too long ago and couldn't wait to share her underhanded ways with me."

"I can't believe this shit," Fitz said, finally expressing how he felt. "Mellie always knew how to interfere in people lives the wrong way. If I just had divorced her when I was going to before, none of this would have happened to you." Fitz knew it wasn't his fault but for some reason he felt like it was.

"Fitz, you can't blame yourself for any of this. I took a chance on Jake. And now I have to deal with these consequences because of that."

Before Fitz could get another word in, he heard a beep. Someone was calling in.

"Liv, I have to go but I'll call you back when I can."

"Ok," Olivia said and they both hung up at the same time.

* * *

**Six Hours Later**

Instead of calling her back like he said he would, Fitz decided to stop by Olivia's apartment. It was going to be an unexpected visit and he hoped she didn't mind.

"Can I come in?" Fitz asked, standing in her doorway with no jacket or tie on.

Olivia motioned for him to come in and she closed the door behind him.

"Wine?" she asked Fitz after walking into her kitchen.

"Yes," Fitz said as he sat down.

Olivia joins Fitz shortly afterwards and sits down beside him on the sofa. With a wine glass in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. She places them on the table and reaches for the previous bottle she was drinking out of.

"Did you drink that whole bottle today?" Fitz asked a bit concern as Olivia pour the last bit of wine into his glass.

"Don't worry I didn't. I've had horrible days before and I have yet to drink a whole bottle in one sitting. I was almost done with this when I started earlier."

"Ok. I just had to make sure," Fitz said watching her closely.

"Thank you for your concern." Olivia forced herself to give him a small smile before opening the new bottle. But she was interrupted by a knock on her door and then she heard Jake's voice.

"Open the door, Olivia."

Olivia glanced at Fitz before she got up and walked to the door. She opened it to let him in but didn't say a word.

Jake saw Fitz sitting on Olivia's sofa and Fitz just smirked at him. Jake was pissed that he was there but he ignored him.

"Why aren't you answering any of my calls? I've been worried about you," Jake said, now focusing his attention on Olivia.

"I didn't answer because I wasn't ready to talk to you yet."

"Can you tell me what's going on because that doesn't make any sense?"

"Mellie came to my job today. That's one thing that she's never done before. For some reason she felt the need to insult me in person about my relationship with you. I'm sure you know what she shared with me. You're only with me because she hired you to do it."

"Look, I'm sorry that Mellie did that to you. But if you can just let me explain th-"

"There is nothing to explain Jake!" she yelled at him. "You're only concern was to save your own ass at all cost. Even if that meant preying on an emotionally vulnerable woman who had one too many failed relationships in her life. There's no plausible explanation in this situation."

"Don't do that Olivia," Jake said doing his best to keep his anger under control. "You and I both know you would give me a chance to really talk to you about this if he wasn't here. So don't start treating me differently just because of his presence."

"This he that you speak of has a name. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. I prefer Fitz of course," Fitz said just to piss Jake off.

"Don't you have a country you should be running? I'm sure there's a bill that needs to be sign into law or a speech that needs to be given somewhere," Jake said to Fitz, easily showing his dislike for him.

"Whoa! Hold on!" Olivia said to Jake. "You don't get to come into my home and disrespect my guest."

"I can't believe this! Jake said let his anger get the best of him. "You're going to stand there and defend this man over me?! The man you are supposed to be marrying!"

Olivia was quiet for a few moments before calmly saying, "Jake, I think it's time for you to leave."

"And what if I refuse to leave?" Jake questioned. He wasn't going to give up without a fight.

Olivia spoke slowly so there was no misunderstanding in how she felt at that moment. "Jake, I don't want you anywhere near me right now. Please just go!"

"Not until you promise me that you'll gave me a chance to tell you everything."

Fitz was growing tired of Jake upsetting Olivia. So he got up and walked in front of Olivia to stand closer to Jake. Jake didn't back down at all.

"She doesn't have to bargain with you to leave. It's clear that she doesn't want you here and you need to respect that."

"Or what? You're going to hit me again?" Jake said taunting Fitz.

"No, that'll be too easy. And I rather not stain Olivia's carpet with the blood I would draw from your mouth again."

Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't know about any fight until now.

"Wait. What fight are you talking about?" Olivia asked the both of them.

"It happened two years ago at the White House. It was nothing," Fitz said.

Olivia wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"No, it was something. If it wasn't I would of known about it when it happen. Now one of you better tell me what's going on here."

"I'll tell you since I'm sure Fitz here isn't man enough to tell you the truth as to why we were fighting. Before Mellie blackmailed me into doing some work for her, Fitz here recruited me to do a favor for him. Since he and I were good friends at one point, he asked me to keep an eye on you, Olivia. Fitz knew I would do a thorough job without much questions. He also used the excused that you may be in danger. It started off as taking photos of you but it soon turned into video surveillance. He had me to install cameras throughout your apartment so he wouldn't miss a thing."

After Jake's last statement, he looked over at Olivia who had a look of disgust on her face. In that moment, Fitz really did want to hit Jake.

Olivia grabbed Fitz by the arm, forcing him to turn around to face her. "Is this true?"

"Yes," Fitz said knowing that the progress he made with Olivia since they put the Defiance situation behind them would possibly be wiped away in a matter of seconds.

"How could you do this Fitz?" Olivia questioned with hurt in her voice.

Now it was Fitz's turn to apologize. "Olivia, I'm sorry. I was wrong about the photo and video surveillance. I was just so upset that you and I weren't together anymore. I wasn't thinking straight," Fitz confessed.

"There was no need to have your boy here watch my every move. You didn't want me anymore," Olivia said truthfully.

"But I still loved you and regardless of how I acted, I still wanted you. That's why I did what I did. I needed to know if you had moved on or was suffering like I was."

"However, you weren't suffering Olivia," Jake said. "You were at first but I began to show you something better. We fought because he couldn't stand that you were with me and not him. I showed you what you deserved. I catered to your needs and you lacked for nothing. Fitz will never accept that I treat you better than he ever did."

Within seconds Fitz had Jake by the collar.

"You don't know shit about our relationship!" Fitz said through clenched teeth. "You're just a guy who charmed his way into her bed. So watch what you say about me Ballard."

"Fitz, let go of him!"

It took Fitz a few seconds before he let go of Jake. He calmed down a bit before looking over his shoulder at Olivia.

I'm sorry was the only thing Fitz said to her before brushing past Jake to leave. When the door shut, Jake moved closer to Olivia.

"Olivia, can we please talk now?" Jake asked almost in desperation.

But instead of speaking, Olivia slapped him.

"Well, I guess I deserved that," Jake said rather calmly. He didn't react much to what she just did but he couldn't ignore the fact that his face was stinging.

"Now is not the time to be funny because trust me, you deserved a lot more than that," Olivia said in a cold tone.

"I wasn't trying to be and I know I do. But you have to believe me when I say that I am deeply sorry for doing this to you."

"I don't believe you," Olivia said quickly, letting him know that an apology wasn't going make her overlook what he did. Nor were things going to go back to normal that easily.

They stared at each other for few moments before Olivia moved away from him. She sat down on her sofa and buried her face in her hands.

"You're going back to ignoring me again?"

"What do you think?" Olivia said, not bothering to look at him. She just wanted him to leave. Olivia had no more energy to argue with him.

Jake moved closer to where she sat and knelt down beside her on both knees. He hated not knowing what to do just as much as he hated that she could ignore him so easily.

"Olivia," he said sadly but she didn't answer.

He reached out to touch her arm but she pulled away from him and slid over to the other side of sofa. Jake dropped his head when she did that. He stared down at the floor as he spoke.

"I can respect that you need some time before I can explain all of this to you. But Olivia, I need you to know that I love you. I am in love with you. Regardless of how we were brought together, my feelings for you are genuine. It always has been and it always will be."

Jake lifted his head to look at Olivia and the only thing he could see was the side of her face. He waited for a response that never came. He got to his feet and walked out, while pretending that his heart wasn't slowly breaking.

Jake pressed the floor number and watched as the elevator doors closed. As soon as it did, he lifted his leg and slammed the bottom of his foot against it three times before leaning against the back wall. This was one of the worst days of his life and he felt helpless. When the doors reopened, Jake rushed off the elevator. Once he was inside his truck he pulled out his phone and called Mellie. It went to voicemail but it didn't keep Jake from expressing how you felt.

"You will pay for this, Mellie," was the only thing that Jake said into the phone before ending the call. He then turned his phone off and threw it as hard as he could onto the dashboard.

* * *

**A/N: Ok, the next update probably won't be as fast. I have to update "Second Chances" before my readers abandon me lol. In the meantime, let me know what you thought about this chapter.**

**By the way, where are my Olake fans at? You guys are a little too quiet for me right now. I have great news though. I'm working on a story strictly for you that I hope to post soon. **


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